第119章 >>

"Andtherewiththeysettochanginghorses。Thepeasantswhowerestandingfaroff，quitesilent，withreverentlybaredheads，camesoftlynearer，andlookedeagerlyattheKing。AnoldGingerbread— woman（SOMMELFRAU）ofLebbenichen[alwaysknewherafterwards]tookmeinherarm，andheldmealoftclosetothecoach—window。IwasnowatfarthestanellfromtheKing；andIfeltasifIwerelookinginthefaceofGodAlmighty（ESWARMIRALSOBICHDEN LIEBENGOTTANSAHE）。Hewasgazingsteadilyoutbeforehim，"intotheglowingWest，"throughthefrontwindow。Hehadonanoldthree—corneredregimentalhat，andhadputthehindwardstraightflapofitforemost，undoingtheloop，sothatthisflaphungdowninfront，andscreenedhimfromthesun。Thehat—strings（HUT— CORDONS，"trimmingsofsilverorgoldcord）"hadgottornloose，andwereflutteringaboutonthisdown—hangingfrontflap； thewhitefeatherinthehatwastatteredanddirty；theplainblueuniform，withredcuffs，redcollarandgoldshoulder—bands[epaulettesWITHOUTbushattheend]，wasoldanddusty，theyellowwaistcoatcoveredwithsnuff；——fortherest，hehadblack—velvetbreeches[and，ofcourse，theperpetualBOOTS，ofwhichhewouldallownopolishingorblacking，stilllessanychangefornewoneswhiletheywouldhangtogether]。Ithoughtalwayshewouldspeaktome。Theoldwomancouldnotlongholdmeup；andsoshesetmedownagain。ThentheKinglookedattheClergyman，beckonedhimnear，andasked，Whosechilditwas？（HerrvonMarwitzofFriedersdorf’s。’——’IsthattheGeneral？’’No，theChamberlain。’ TheKingmadenoanswer:hecouldnotbearChamberlains，whomheconsideredasidlefellows。Thenewhorseswereyoked；awaytheywent。AlldaythepeasantshadbeentalkingoftheKing，howhewouldbringthisandthatintoorder，andpulleverybodyoverthecoalswhowasnotagreeabletothem。 "AfterwardsitturnedoutthatallClergymenwereinthehabitofgiving10thalerstothecoachmanPfund，whentheKinglodgedwiththem:theformerClergymanofDolgelinhadregularlydoneit； butthenewone，knowingnothingofthecustom，hadomitteditlastyear；——andthatwasthereasonwhythefellowhadsopushedalongalldaythathecouldpassDolgelinbeforesunset，andgethis10 thalersinMunchebergfromtheBurgermeisterthere。" 2。JANUARY，1785。"ThesecondtimeIsawtheKingwasattheCarnivalofBerlinin1785。IhadgonewithmyTutortoaCousinofminewhowasaHofdame（DAMEDECOUR）tothePrincessHenri，andlivedaccordinglyinthePrince—HenriPalace，——whichisnow，inourdays，becometheUniversity；——herApartmentswereinthethirdstory，andlookedoutintothegarden。Aswewereascendingthegreatstairs，therecamedashingpastusalittleoldmanwithstaringeyes，jumpingdownthreestepsatatime。MyTutorsaid，inastonishment，’ThatisPrinceHenri！’Wenowsteptintoawindowofthefirststory，andlookedouttoseewhatthelittlemanhadmeantbythoseswiftboundingsofhis。Andlo，therecametheKinginhiscarriagetovisithim。 "FriedrichtheSecondNEVERdroveinPotsdam，exceptwhenonjourneys，butconstantlyrode。Heseemedtothinkitadisgrace，andunworthyofaSoldier，togoinacarriage:thus，wheninthelastAutumnofhislife（thisvery1785）hewassounwellinthewindySans—Souci（wheretherewerenostoves，butonlyhearth— fires），thatitbecamenecessarytoremovetotheSchlossinPotsdam，hecouldnotdeterminetoDRIVEthither，butkepthopingfromdaytodayforsomuchimprovementasmightallowhimtoride。 Asnoimprovementcame，andtheweathergrewevercolder，heatlengthdecidedtogooverundercloudofdarkness，inasedan— chair，thatnobodymightnoticehim。——SolikewiseduringtheReviewsatBerlinorCharlottenburgheappearedalwaysonhorseback:butduringtheCarnivalinBerlin，whereheusuallystayedfourweeks，heDROVE，andthisalwaysinRoyalpomp，——thus:—— "Aheadwenteightrunnerswiththeirstaves，plumedcapsandrunner—aprons[LAUFER—SCHURZE，whatevertheseare]，intworows。 Astheserunnerswereneverusedforanythingexceptthisshow，theofficewasakindofpostforInvalidsoftheLife—guard。 Aconsequenceofwhichwas，thattheKingalwayshadtogoataslowpace。Hiscourses，however，werenootherthanfromtheSchlosstotheOperatwiceaweek；andduringhiswholeresidence，oneortwotimestoPrinceHenriandthePrincessAmelia[oncealways，too，todinewithhisWife，towhomhedidnotspeakoneword，butmerelybowedatbeginningandending！]。Afterthistherunnersrestedagainforayear。BehindthemcametheRoyalCarriage，withateamofeight；eightwindowsroundit；thehorseswithold—fashionedharness，andplumesontheirheads。CoachmanandoutridersallinthethenRoyallivery，——blue；thecollar，cuffs，pockets，andallseams，trimmedwithastripeofredcloth，andthisboundonbothsideswithsmallgold—cord；thegeneraleffectofwhichwasverygood。Inthefourboots（NEBENTRITTEN）ofthecoachstoodfourPages，redwithgold，insilkstockings，feather— hats（crownallcoveredwithfeathers），butnothavingplumes；——thevalet’sbootbehind，empty；andtotherearofit，downbelow，whereonemountstothevalet’sboot[BEDIENTEN—TRITT，whatisnowbecomeFOOT—BOARD]，stoodagroom（STALLKNECHT）。ThuscametheKing，movingslowlyalong；andenteredthroughtheportalofthePalace。Welookeddownfromthewindowinthestairs。PrinceHenristoodatthecarriage—door；thepagesopenedit，theKingsteppedout，salutedhisBrother，tookhimbythehand，walkedupstairswithhim，andthusthetwopassednearus（weretiringupstairstothesecondstory），andwentintotheApartment，wherenowStudentsrunleapingabout。" 3。MAY23d，1785。"ThethirdtimeIsawhimwasthatsameyear，atBerlinstill，ashereturnedhomefromtheReview。["May21st— 23d"（Rodenbeck，iii。327）。]MyTutorhadgonewithmeforthatendtotheHalleGate，forwealreadyknewthatonthatdayhealwaysvisitedhisSister，PrincessAmelia。Hecameridingonabigwhitehorse，——nodoubtoldCONDE，who，twentyyearsafterthis，stillgothisFREE—BOARDintheECOLEVETERINAIRE；forsincetheBavarianWar（1778），Friedrichhardlyeverrodeanyotherhorse。HisdresswasthesameasformerlyatDolgelin，onthejourney；onlythatthehatwasinalittlebettercondition，properlyloopedup，andwiththepeak（butnotwiththeLONGpeak，asisnowthefashion）setinfront，induemilitarystyle。BehindhimwereaguardofGenerals，thentheAdjutants，andfinallythegroomsoftheparty。Thewhole’Rondeel’（nowBelle—AlliancePlatz）andtheWilhelms—Strassewerecrammedfullofpeople；allwindowscrowded，allheadsbare，everywherethedeepestsilence；andonallcountenancesanexpressionofreverenceandconfidence，astowardsthejuststeersmanofallourdestinies。TheKingrodequitealoneinfront，andsalutedpeople，CONTINUALLYtakingoffhishat。Indoingwhichheobservedaverymarkedgradation，accordingastheon—lookersbowingtohimfromthewindowsseemedtodeserve。Atonetimeheliftedthehataverylittle；atanotherhetookitfromhishead，andhelditaninstantbesidethesame；atanotherhesunkitasfarastheelbow。Butthesemotionslastedcontinually；andnosoonerhadheputonhishat，thanhesawotherpeople，andagaintookitoff。FromtheHalleGatetotheKoch—Strassehecertainlytookoffhishat200times。 "Throughthisreverentsilencetheresoundedonlythetramplingofthehorses，andtheshoutingoftheBerlinstreet—boys，whowentjumpingbeforehim，caperingwithjoy，andflunguptheirhatsintotheair，orskippedalongclosebyhim，wipingthedustfromhisboots。IandmyTutorhadgainedsomuchroomthatwecouldrunalongsideofhim，hatinhand，amongtheboys。——Youseethedifferencebetweenthenandnow。Whowasitthatthenmadethenoise？Whomaintainedadignifieddemeanor？——Whoisitthatbawlsandbellowsnow？[Nobilitiesoughttobenoble，thinksthisoldMarwitz，intheirreverencetoNobleness。IfNobilitiesthemselvesbecomeWashedPopulacesinamanner，whatarewetosay？]Andwhatvaluecanyouputonsuchbellowing？ "ArrivedatthePrincessAmelia’sPalace（which，lyingintheWilhelms—Strasse，frontsalsointotheKoch—Strasse），thecrowdgrewstilldenser，fortheyexpectedhimthere:theforecourtwasjammedfull；yetinthemiddle，withoutthepresenceofanypolice，therewasopenspaceleftforhimandhisattendants。HeturnedintotheCourt；thegate—leaveswentback；andtheagedlamePrincess，leaningontwoLadies，theOBERHOFMEISTERINN（ChiefLady） behindher，camehitchingdowntheflatstepstomeethim。Sosoonasheperceivedher，heputhishorsetothegallop，pulledup，sprangrapidlydown，tookoffhishat（whichhenow，however，heldquitelowatthefulllengthofhisarm），embracedher，gaveherhisarm，andagainledherupthesteps。Thegate—leaveswentto； allhadvanished，andthemultitudestillstood，withbaredhead，insilence，alleyesturnedtothespotwherehehaddisappeared； andsoitlastedawhile，tilleachgatheredhimselfandpeacefullywenthisway。 "Andyettherehadnothinghappened！Nopomp，nofireworks，nocannon—shot，nodrummingandfifing，nomusic，noeventthathadoccurred！No，nothingbutanoldmanof73，ill—dressed，alldusty，wasreturningfromhisday’swork。Buteverybodyknewthatthisoldmanwastoilingalsoforhim；thathehadsethiswholelifeonthatlabor，andforfive—and—fortyyearshadnotgivenitthesliponeday！Everyonesaw，moreover，thefruitsofthisoldman’slabor，nearandfar，andeverywherearound；andtolookontheoldmanhimselfawakenedreverence，admiration，pride，confidence，——inshortallthenoblerfeelingsofman。"[NachlassdesGeneralvonderMarwitz，i。15—20。] ThiswasMay21st，1785；Ithink，thelasttimeBerlinsawitsKinginthatpublicmanner，ridingthroughthestreets。TheFURSTENBUND Affairisnow，secretly，inaverylivelystate，atBe……